July 2021
ONN Monitoring Report: Activities Continue at the Abandoned 50 MWe Reactor at Yongbyon by Veronika Bedenko
In the monitoring report on the 50 MWe Reactor at Yongbyon from 9 July 2021, ONN noted that the roof of one of the buildings adjacent to the main reactor hall had been removed. The scale of the reported activity appeared to be larger than the previously reported instances in 2018 and 2019.
July 2021
Continued Construction Activities at Yusang-ni Missile Base by Matthew Frank
The Yusang-ni Missile Base is one of the largest and most recently completed North Korean missile bases and reportedly hosts a number of ballistic missile systems. Recent imagery from June 2021 indicates that some relatively minor construction continues at the facility, with a number of old buildings being torn down and new buildings being added.
July 2021
New Constructions at the Chamjin Missile Factory by Tianran Xu
The Chamjin Missile Factory, also known as the Thaesong Machine Plant, [1] is an important facility for ballistic missile production in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Recent satellite imagery shows new construction activities on the premises of the factory’s main compound, although the purpose of the new structures is not clear.
July 2021
New Construction at the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground by Tianran Xu
The Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground is the oldest carrier rocket and ballistic missile launch site of the Democractic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Recent commercial satellite images of this site reveal that new construction took place in March 2021 at a location in between the two launch complexes of the launching ground (one previously used for launches and the other unfinished).
July 2021
ONN Monitoring Report: New Activity at Abandoned 50 MWe Reactor at Yongbyon by Veronika Bedenko
Analysis of satellite imagery from June 2021 revealed new activity at the abandoned 50 MWe reactor at Yongbyon, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
June 2021
Termination of the Revised ROK Missile Guidelines: Assessment of China's and DPRK's Reactions by Tianran Xu
During the State visit of the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in to Washington, D.C. in May 2021, the United States agreed to terminate the 1979 Missile Guidelines.
April 2021
Japan's Stand-Off Weapon Programmes: New Counterforce Strike Capabilities? by Katsuhisa Furukawa
Since 2018, Japan has advanced its stand-off weapons programmes. It is currently planning to introduce the Norway-sourced Joint Strike Missile and undertaking research and development and/or deployment of at least six types of indigenous stand-off weapons.
February 2021
The 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (2) by Jaewoo Shin
The 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was held in Pyongyang from 5 to 12 January 2021. This paper provides an overview of the structural and personnel changes that resulted from the 8th Congress and analyses their implications for the leadership’s governance style in the coming years.
February 2021
The 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (1) by Katsuhisa Furukawa
The 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was held in Pyongyang from 5 to 12 January 2021. This paper provides an overview of the decisions taken during the 8th Congress and analyses the directions of the country's economic, national defence and external policies, including its nuclear weapons programme.
January 2021
Highlights of the DPRK Military Parade on 14 January 2021 by Tianran Xu
On Thursday, January 14, 2021, Pyongyang hosted a military parade marking the end of the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. Unlike the October 10, 2020 parade, it was scaled down and excluded Hwasong series missiles. However, two new missiles were unveiled, detailed in this article.
